Analysis of Buffalo Market Setting in the State of Pará, Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the structure and conjuncture of the buffalo breeding tendency in the state of Pará, in order to generate relevant information for decision-making of farmers involved in the activity, as well as to guide public policies to stimulate the development sector of Pará’s economy in Brazilian Amazon. The study was conducted using secondary data, collected from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC), Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), Central Bank of Brazil (BACEN) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on the herd, production, price and financing granted to buffalo breeding. The Brazilian buffalo herd is concentrated in the northern region of the country, with 66.15% of the total herd, particularly in the state of Pará, which participates with 37.90% of the Brazilian herd, constituting the largest producing state in Brazil. In this state, the activity is concentrated in the Marajó meso-regions and in the Lower Amazon. In addition, it was found that the volume of rural credit granted to buffalo herd projects, fluctuated from 1995 to 2015, concentrating in the period from 2004 to 2007, stimulated by the expansion of cattle raising at pasture due to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), a disease triggered in Europe over that period.

Water buffalo production in the Brazilian Amazon Basin: a review

“…Basic aspects of buffalo milk and meat markets in the Brazilian Amazon Brazil has 1,370,941 buffaloes, the majority in the North of the country, especially in the Pará state, which holds 37.90% of the national inventory (Oliveira et al 2020a). Thus, Pará state may be considered a major driver for the buffalo milk and meat production and market in the Brazilian Amazon.…”

“…In Pará state, buffalo farming is conducted on properties with less than 200 ha, which are considered "small farms" for the region (Oliveira et al 2020a). These properties represent 67.91% of the production units and concentrate 36.72% of the buffalo herd.…”

“…Although Pará state has the largest water buffalo inventory in Brazil, it represents only 14.06% of Brazilian milk production. The milk, despite being a differentiated product, with excellent properties for cheese production, has a very limited production level as the herd is more specialized in meat production (Oliveira et al 2020a).…”

“…Between March and June, when the supply reaches its peak, the price is reduced, while from August to December, prices reach the highest values, due to low product supply. Producers specialized in the production of younger animals and continuous growth paths have therefore to invest in supplementary feeding in order to meet the nutritional demands and allow the slaughter of animals with adequate market weight, and value (Oliveira et al 2020a).…”